Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-12-01
A FAMOUS EXPLORER.


a FAMOUS EXPLORER.
1As Career. Achieve,nen9s sal Death -
Vitus Behring.
1t is now just twenty years since our
Government bought Of Russia all her
possessions on this continent Since
that purchase Alaska has been made
familiar to US in the reports Of officials
of scientific explorers. of traders and
of tourists. The earlier history OF the
Territory is full of interest Tor it is
marked by undertakings of the most
intrepid daring and Of heroic advent
ure. That was bold plan that
directed from S.. Petersburg an ex-
petition across the north of Asia. the
building of vessels on the Eastern
coast. and the discovery of a separate
continent on the opposite side of the
Pacific. That plan was formed in the
mind Of Peter the Great, and it was
carried into execution by Behring.
whose name has since been connected
with the sea and the strait which lie
between the continents.
Vitus Behring (Bering) was Dane.
He was born at the village of Horsen.
Jutland. in 1880. As a young man. he
sailed in Danish vessels to the East
and West Indies. In 17O6 he entered
the service of Peter the Great and was
assigned to the navy which had just
been built at Cronstadt. The appoint
ment Of Behring to the command of a
scientific expedition in the Sea Of
Kamschatka was made January 20,
1925. On the 5th of February Behring
started from St. Petersburg. and three
days later his imperial master died.
So difficult was the journey overland
that it was not until the summer ct
the following year that Behring. with
the advance detachment reached the
Sea of Ochotsk. Behring then built
a boat to carry the party over the sea.
He had brought men from Russia for
this purpose. The craft was christened
the Fortune The last of June. 1927.
it carried over to Kamchatka the ship
builders who were to build the vessel
intended for the great voyage.
Their ship-yard was established at
the mouth of the Kamschatka river. The
next winter was spent in preparing
timbers for the vessel. and on the Goth
Of July, 1928. it was ready for the
voyage. Three years and half had
gone by since Behring and his party
had set out from St. Petersburg. The
Gabriel-for that was the name of the
ship-sailed northeast along the coast
of Asia. On the 10th of August
the Island of St. Lawrence was discov-
cred. Five days later they rounded
cape in latitude 81 deg. 18 min.
north. Here the coast line turned
suddenly to the west Behring had
proved that the continents were sepa-
rate. The party returned to the ship
yard and wintered there. On the 9Th
of June. 1929. they left again OH a
voyage of exploration. but were un-
successful, and Behring returned over
land to ST. Petersburg.
1t was not until 1892 that proposals
were made for another expedition.
Anna was now Empress. and she was
ambitious to extend the boundaries of
Russia. She directed that special at
tentiOn be given to the possibilities of
n northeast passage along the Amer
lean coast. Behring's plan was to
push across to the coast of America,
and trace it northward to the strait he
had discovered. The plan gave Behrin g
her possessions in America The party
left ST. Petersburg early in 1888. They
built two vessels on the Sea of Ochotsk.
Seven years had been spent when. in
the St. Peter and the St. Paul. they
sailed over to Kamschatka and win
tered there. On the 4th of June. 1741.
Behring started on his last voyage. He
was in command of the St Peter. July
IS the American coast was sighted in
latitude So deg. % min. north. They
followed the dangerous coast to the
west, meeting head-winds all the time.
Scurvy broke out, and Behring was
confined to his cabin. A council was
held. and it was resolved 10 return to
Kamschatka. The ST. Paul was lost.
| On the 18th of November an island was
sighted-the last discovery Behring
was to make 1t was named for him.
Here they landed for winter quarters.
The commander was carried on shore
November 8. and he died December
10. The survivors of that winter built
a boat from the wreck of the St Peter.
and they reached Kamschatks on the
9th of August 1742. YOUTHS Com
panioa.
The first young girl TO be cremat-